SAN DIEGO — Since the beginning of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, News 8 has reported on empty shelves at stores all over the county. News 8's Shannon Handy wanted to see if that's still the case on Friday.
Based on what Handy saw Friday, while you can still find basic items, things like paper towels and toilet paper in some areas are still hard to come by.
At the Costco on Moreno on Friday, there were no paper products, but customers did snag sanitizing wipes. The store would sell one package per person.
At H Mart in Kearny Mesa, Handy found no paper products sold there, but did find lots of produce and eggs. As for rice, the store was running low.
Over at the Vons in Pacific Beach, Handy found bare shelves where paper towels and toilet paper used to be. The fruits and vegetable section looked full, but dish soap was hard to come by. The bakery included individually-wrapped pastries.
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At the nearby Ralph's in PB, the rice shelves were pretty empty. As for paper towels, there were a few large packages left. The Sprouts in PB was pretty well-stocked. It was out of some rice and canned goods, but had lots of fruits and vegetables.
In terms of lines, Handy and News 8 photographer, Rachel, did see a long one outside Trader Joe's. Employees there were doing their best to guide people in.
On Thursday, it was a similar scene at Costco's throughout the county, from La Mesa, to Poway and Chula Vista.
Overall, you may have to wait in long lines and visit a couple of places to get everything you need. If you have time to shop that much, great. If not, call ahead to stores to make sure they have what you want before heading out.
As always, use precaution, whether you're wearing gloves, a face cover "mask" or using wipes. Always stand six feet apart. If you can, keep your outings to stores to a minimum for social distancing.